This is how to make THE BEST easy mashed potatoes recipe with tips like how long to boil the potatoes for creamy mashed potatoes that are fluffy, buttery, and rich.
One of my favorite food memories is standing next to my grandma while she whipped mashed potatoes in the kitchen sink. It was her trick so they didn’t fly all over the kitchen, and one reason this recipe for the best mashed potatoes works every single time. Whether you’re making them as part of your Thanksgiving feast (don’t forget the stuffing and gravy) or as a stellar side dish to pot roast or chicken piccata, there’s no arguing that this is one of the best ways to eat potatoes and that easy mashed potatoes are one of the most classic (and most delicious) sides of all time. My creamy mashed potatoes recipe yields potatoes that are fluffy and creamy at the same time, and that don’t skimp on the butter. There are only a couple of easy tricks to know, like which potatoes are best and how long to boil the potatoes for mashed potatoes that can complete any meal.
Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients
There are lots of different techniques to make mashed potatoes including using a potato ricer or a potato masher. And I have tried them all. But in the end, I go back to the same way my mom and my grandma always made them, and that’s by using a good old handheld blender mixer (I have this one).
Here’s what you need for basic mashed potatoes ingredients:
- Yukon gold potatoes—they aren’t too dry and won’t go too gummy
- Butter—I like to use salted butter because it’s always in my fridge
- Half and half, cream, or whole milk (half and half or cream will yield the best creamy spuds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Chives, parsley, or chopped green onion if you like a fleck of green
How to Make This Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Don’t be intimidated by homemade mashed potatoes. They’re easy to make and a skill every home cook should master. I’ve broken it down into different, simple steps:
Do You Cut Potatoes Before Boiling?
It’s definitely better to boil your potatoes when making mashed potatoes, and that’s your first step, but there’s no need to cut them first.
Boil the potatoes whole and with their skin on. I’ve boiled potatoes with and without the skin, and have found that boiling with the skin on protects the spuds from absorbing more water and losing flavor. Nobody wants a watery mash.
Cook the potatoes until totally tender. Place your potatoes in a large pot and completely cover them with cold water (about ½ inch above the potatoes). Once they’ve come to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt to flavor them as they cook. Cook your potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are fork-tender and the skin easily pulls away from the potato where cut.
Smash, Flavor, and Whip
These next steps are key for getting the creamiest, fluffiest, most flavorful mashed potatoes.
Wipe the skin away. Drain the potatoes, then use paper towels to wipe or scrub off the potato skin while still hot. It’s so much easier than having to peel your potatoes anyway. I use a fork to rotate the potato as I wipe them since these are literally hot potatoes. This method makes it incredibly easy for the skin to wipe away yet keep its flavor, so long as your potatoes are cooked enough.
Put the taters back in the pot. A trick I’ve found to get an extra creamy potato is once the skins are quickly removed, I add the potatoes back to the same warm pot I cooked them in, then lightly smash them with the hand mixer tines, and add my butter to the still-hot potatoes. Cover the potatoes with a lid and let them sit for a couple of minutes, allowing the potatoes to dry out a little, keep warm, and absorb the melting butter for a barrier.
Stir in the butter before the dairy. Adding the butterfat to the potatoes before adding the cream, half-and-half, or milk, coats the potato starches and acts as a barrier to ensure your mashed potatoes won’t turn out gummy, sticky, or overmixed.
Whip ‘em with a mixer. The real secret to great mashers is how you mash them. I’ve used a ricer, but it’s a bit of a pain and my muscles never seem strong enough. I’ve used a masher and gotten a tasty mashed potato but always have a few potato chunks. A few minutes on medium speed should do the trick.
What Makes a Better Mashed Potato
There are a few easy but tried and true tricks I swear by for making better mashed potatoes:
Use Yukon golds for the smoothest, creamiest texture. The best potato for mashed potatoes is a starchy potato and Yukon golds fit the bill. Avoid using waxy potatoes like red potatoes or russet potatoes, which result in a pasty mash since they need to be creamed more to achieve the desired texture.
It’s important that you salt the water the potatoes cook in. This flavors the potatoes themselves and prevents you from having to add lots of salt later on.
Heavy cream will make for the creamiest mashed potatoes, but whole milk or half and half will also work. Don’t use anything with less fat than whole milk, otherwise, your potatoes won’t be as flavorful or creamy.
I prefer using unsalted butter in my homemade mashed potatoes because I like to know exactly how much salt is in them. If you’re using salted butter, give your potatoes a taste before you stir in any extra salt — you don’t want them to turn out too salty!
How to Make Mashed Potatoes Even Creamier
If you’re someone who loooooves the cream, cream in ⅓ cup of the following ingredients for an extra creamy spoonful. Adding this extra fat keeps the potatoes from drying out when reheating as well.
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt
- Cream Cheese
What Can I Add to My Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted cloves of garlic
- Olive oil (use in place of the butter; just note this will change the flavor and texture a bit)
- Cheddar cheese, mascarpone, gorgonzola, or blue cheese
- Bacon or pancetta
- Chopped green onion
- Caramelized onion
- Fresh herbs, such as chives, thyme, or rosemary
Can I Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
Yes, it’s a fact that you don’t have to wait ‘til the last minute to make your mashed potatoes. Here’s how to make mashed potatoes ahead and serve hot when needed.
Make them earlier the day of and then keep still-warm potatoes warm on the stove by placing them in a bowl, covering them with foil or plastic wrap, and setting the bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. They’ll stay warm this way for a few hours, just be sure to watch so you don’t run out of water in the pot.
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
To reheat mashed potatoes, make them 2 days ahead of serving, and then:
Reheat mashed potatoes on the stove: Gently rewarm the potatoes over low heat with 1-2 tablespoons of dairy to loosen them and add more moisture to the potatoes so they don’t turn gluey or stick to the bottom of the pan. Low and slow is the ticket here.
Reheat mashed potatoes in the microwave: Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat on half-power for about 5 minutes. Reheating at a lower temp is the key to keeping your microwaved potatoes from drying out and getting stiff.
Reheat mashed potatoes in the oven: Place the potatoes in a medium-sized baking dish, spreading in an even layer, and then warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. Add more butter if desired.
Reheat mashed potatoes in the slow cooker: Allow the mashed potatoes to come to room temperature, for about 3 hours. Add to the slow cooker and set on low for 3 hours, and stir once or twice with a wooden spoon as they reheat.
How to Make THE BEST Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 4 tablespoons butter cut into chunks
- ⅓ cup half and half or cream, or milk
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- chives minced
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes clean and add to a deep pot. Completely cover the potatoes with water, about ½ inch above the potatoes. Bring the potatoes to a boil and add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Boil the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are very easily pierced with a fork and the skin pulls away from the potato where cut.
- Drain the potatoes, and while still hot, use a paper towel to wipe the skin away from the potatoes, then add back to the warm pot.
- Gently smash the hot potatoes with the tines of a hand mixer and add the butter to the potatoes. Cover with a lid for the butter to melt, about 3-4 minutes.*
- Add the half and half or other liquid dairy to the pot and set it in the kitchen sink so the potatoes don’t fly around the kitchen while whipping. Cream the potatoes with the hand mixer until smooth, rotating the pot counter-clockwise as you mix. Don’t over mix the potatoes. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper to taste, and add more dairy to get the consistency you like best.
- Add more butter if you’d like, and garnish with minced chives, green onion, or serve plain.
